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PBS to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month on TV

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ARLINGTON, Va., —  Hispanic Heritage Month 2008 (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15) is coming up, and PBS is celebrating with a great lineup of programs that entertain while examining the history, heritage and cultural contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

All month, PBS explores the rich and varied styles of Latin music. From Texican (“Los Lonely Boys Cottonfields and Crossroads”) to Afro-Cuban pop (Independent Lens — “La Lupe: Queen of Latin Soul”) to an all-female mariachi band (Independent Lens — “Compañeras”) to traditional Mexican corrido (P.O.V. “Al Otro Lado [To The Other Side]”), the creative talents of diverse musicians are on display.

PBS will also re-broadcast several of its recent nominees for Imagen Awards, created to honor excellence in Latino entertainment, including “Brown is the New Green,” American Masters — “Orozco: Man of Fire” and P.O.V. “Made in L.A.”

And, a special presentation in October, “Latinos ‘08,” examines the election through the prism of ethnic politics.

PBS’s children’s content continues to serve a diverse audience with series that encourage healthy exploration of cultural differences while providing opportunities to learn and grow as individuals.

On the new season of “Sesame Street,” kids can follow Murray, the street’s newest friendly resident monster, as he deciphers clues from his little lamb friend, Ovejita. Murray faces a challenge, however: all of Ovejita’s clues are in Spanish! Murray uses visual hints to stay hot on Ovejita’s trail.

On the PBS KIDS preschool destination, Miss Rosa invites children to discover new cultures and build language skills through Spanish language content, while PBS KIDS series “Between the Lions” “Dragon Tales,” and “Jay Jay the Jet Plane” insert Spanish words into their curricula to help English speakers learn beginning Spanish. On PBS KIDS GO!, “Maya & Miguel” (also a nominee for the Imagen Awards) continues to promote the value of cultural diversity while supporting school-age English language learners by combining English and Spanish language in stories about Maya, Miguel, their family members and their friends.